Maryland Zoo Highlight #3 -- African Waterhole and Southern White Rhinoceros

 The African Continent features prominently among the animals you will encounter at the Maryland Zoo.  We have Iconic species like African Elephants, Lions, Reticulated Giraffe, Plains Zebra, Chimpanzees, Ostriches, and Southern White Rhinoceros.  We also have hoof-stock that includes Lesser Kudu, Addra Gazelle and Sitatunga.  Lesser Primates that include: Ring-tailed Lemurs, Red-Ruffed Lemurs, Coquerel's Sifaka, Black and White Colobus and Red-tailed Geunon.  You can also find: Cheetah, Cape Porcupine, Warthogs, Okapi, Blue Duikers, Saddle-billed Stork, Black Crowned Crane, Southern Ground Hornbill, Sulcata Tortoises, West African Slender-nosed Crocodile, and Black-footed Penguin.  It's a pretty wide range of species native to Africa.  Some are critically endangered (Addra Gazelle, Coquerel's Sifaka, Black-footed Penguins) and others are finding the support and opportunity to continue to recover.

One of these species is the Southern White Rhinoceros which has one of the most extraordinary survival stories of any modern species on the brink of extinction.  In the 1800's Rhinoceros were slaughtered across South Africa in the manner of the Carolina Parakeet or the Passenger Pigeon in the United States.  By 1885, they were thought to have gone extinct, which at the time was of little concern to most South Africans.  Then in 1895, a small herd was discovered in what was, at the time, a remote area of KwaZulu-Natal province in the far eastern area of South Africa.  Realizing what they had discovered led a group of conservation minded folk to establish the Umfolozi Junction Reserve.  Estimates vary, but most sources indicate the number of Southern White Rhinoceros found there were as low as 20 to as high as 50.  I once listened to a podcast that claimed the number was just 19 animals!  

While the reserve gave the Southern White Rhinoceros a modicum of protection, the work to breed such a small number of animals into a larger, more viable herd was painstakingly slow.  Census records give us some idea of what this looked like.  The number grew to around 200 by 1935; 400 by 1955.  By this time, the Rhinoceros that lived in Umfolozi Junction Reserve, were being re-introduced into other areas of South Africa.  By 1975, the number was just shy of 900 and with multiple satellite herds across South Africa and now extending into Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the numbers began to grow more robustly.  And this against the backdrop of a consistent percentage of poached animals every year.  

Today Southern White Rhinoceros are found in viable numbers across six continuous Southern African nations.  Three more countries are in the process of establishing self-sustaining populations: Zambia, Uganda and Kenya.  By the most recent estimates, there are between 18,750 and 21,500 Southern White Rhinoceros in the wild today.  Roughly speaking that's a 10,000% increase and it only took 130 years!  Additionally, there are around 800 more Southern White Rhinoceros in Zoos and Wildlife Reserves across North America, and another 100 to 200 across Europe, Asia and Australia.

Which brings us to the Maryland Zoo.  The Rhinoceros Habitat which is part of a multi-species exhibit, called the African Waterhole, was opened to the public in 1992.  The first Rhinoceros to call the Maryland Zoo home was a female named Daisy Mae (#380).  At the time of her arrival, she was 22 years old.  In 1999, a four-year-old male, born at the Knoxville Zoo was transferred to join her.  His name was Stubby (#1040).  Stubby's mother was Polly (#452) who was born in 1968 in the wild in South Africa.  At age 2, she was transferred to the United States, and in 1976 was transferred to the Knoxville Zoo.  During her time there, she was paired with 3 different males and gave birth to 10 offspring!  Amazing.  Stubby was her penultimate child.  

Stubby and Daisy Mae bonded and were companion animals right up until her death from natural causes at age 46 in 2016.  Stubby continued alone for a time, and then with a younger male named Jaharo.  Jaharo arrived at the Maryland Zoo in early 2017.  She died of age related concerns in 2022.

It was hoped that the two males would form a companionship; however, Jaharo and Stubby never clicked.  They remained rivals during their time together.  Within a year of arriving Jaharo showed signs of illness.  In the autumn of 2018, Jaharo was treated for a rare genetic illness.  At first the prognosis looked good, but then in January of 2019, he took a sudden turn for the worse and died on January 27.  This is when a serious consideration of Stubby's welfare was undertaken.  In the prime of his life, he was certainly able to breed.  After consideration of the options, the AZA SSP committee for Southern White Rhinoceros made the decision to orchestrate a swap.  Stubby would move to the AZA affiliated reserve Rum Creek Center for Conservation of Tropical Ungulates--a leading non-profit whose mission is to preserve endangered species of Rhinoceros.  In return, two young males would be transferred to the Maryland Zoo.  

In April of 2021, our current incumbent Southern White Rhinoceros, Jelani and JP (James Paul) were introduced to the public at the Maryland Zoo.  Born on June 7, 2016 and August 14, 2016 respectively the two four-year-old males share the same sire.  Now, at age 8, they are quite the pair with wonderful personalities.  

(On a sad side note...Stubby's hopeful arrival at Rum Creek didn't pan out.   He died in 2024, just two years after his mother.  I have not been able to discover the cause at this time.)

Maryland Zoo Highlight #2 -- A Walk around the Wetlands and Grasslands

 African Animals feature prominently at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.  Among the hoof-stock, two members of the genus Tragelaphus can be found.  Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii)  and Lesser Kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) are an excellent pairing for guests to see and compare the commonalities and differences of these two genetic cousins.  The most significant common trait are the spiraling horns that all of the males and some of the females in the genus share.  It is the reason for their genus' existence, in fact.  Other similarities include their markings made up of thin white stripes and spots.

Among their major differences are the fact that Sitatunga coats are thick and slightly shaggy, white Lesser Kudu bear short hair that tends to reflect sunlight with a little shimmer.  This makes sense when you know that Sitatunga live in swampy forested areas with lots of shade, while Lesser Kudu live on the open savanna's.   One of my favorite differences is in the way in which the two species react to danger.  Not surprisingly the Lesser Kudu are excellent runners and flee.  The Sitatunga, however, are excellent swimmers and they will seek safety by hiding in water!  They will submerse their entire bodies with the exception of their nostrils and wait patiently for the danger to pass.

The Maryland Zoo has very successful breeding programs for both species.  Presently, our most recent Sitatunga buck passed into Ancestry last autumn, and so our herd consists of nine females, eight adults and one yearling.  We are awaiting a replacement male as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums decides on the best fit for our herd to ensure the greatest genetic diversity within the stock of Sitatunga within their care.  Our herd of Lesser Kudu is a but smaller.  We have two long-time female residents: Lemon and Meringue.  Meringue is Lemon's offspring.  We have a young new Buck, Zahi, who will be turning 3 this year.  He's been with us just over a year and wasted no time getting together with Meringue, who last summer bore Mandazi, a lovely male.  As Mandazi matures, he will necessarily be transferred to another zoo where he can carry on his lineage.  Lemon is probably past calf bearing years at this point in her life.

Sitatunga females are this bright burnt umber color, while the males are a dusky hickory brown.

Zahi with his crown of spiral horns basking in the warm sun.

Also in this area you might encounter one or more of our Cape Porcupines.  The zoo is home to 3.  Our regal "old man" Kayin who is around 20 which pushes him past the high end of the average lifespan of his species by five years!  This past autumn, the Maryland Zoo received a younger pair from another AZA institution.  Rocco, the male, is deferential to Kayin, and doesn't come out into the yard when Kayin is out.  Dill, the female, on the other hand, seems to enjoy Kayin's company.

Old Kayin (pronounced Cane) also sleeping the warm sun.

Finally, on the bright, slightly cool breezy day of my visit the warthogs were out.  The Maryland Zoo is home to two, a companion pair.  Hodor is our male and he was born at the Detroit Zoo in 2015.  KeeWee is our female and a member of the last litter of warthogs born at the Maryland Zoo, also in 2015.  Warthogs are one of the species for whom life expectancy varies greatly between wild and captive populations.  In the wild a range of 7 to 11 is generally accepted; however, in the care of a zoo or wildlife refuge that can commonly live to 20 or beyond.  On this day, I caught KeeWee peering at me through the camouflage of an upended tree stump--which is incongruous when you consider just how poor warthog's eye sight is!  It is more likely that the sound of my voice caught her attention and then she's waiting to catch a whiff of human odor to confirm what her ears were telling her.

Maryland Zoo Highlight #1: The Penguin Coast

 The Penguin Coast was built in 2013-14, and opened to the public on 27 SEP 2014.

It is home to the largest colony of African Black-footed (or Jackass) penguins in North America.  Our breeding colony dances around 100 birds with a capacity of about 125.  In the nearly 60 year history of the Maryland Zoo supporting African Penguins, we have had over 1,000 live births!  Birds from our colony have virtually been part of every other colony in North America by either direct transfer or indirect genetic lineage.  The African Penguin, it is safe to say, is one of our signature species.  Additionally, annually we send thousands of dollars to SANCOOB, the leading regional (South Africa and Namibia) conservation organization working with Species Survival in Africa, as well as, zoo staff travelling to both Namibia and South Africa to share our expertise and learn from the work being done on the ground.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature identified just over six months ago fewer than 10,000 viable breeding pairs of the African Penguin in the wild.  This represents a drop from over 200,000 birds a century ago.  Most of the decline has occurred in the past 30 years with a trajectory that sadly predicts extinction in the wild by 2035.  It's nearly incomprehensible.

The unique feature of this habitat is that its pool is a "doughnut" which allows the birds to swim in a large continuous loop.  At one point the depth of the pool reaches over 20 feet creating the opportunity for the birds to swim at high speeds and moderate depths like their wild cousins.  The large habitat has been shared over the years by other avian species native to the same regions of Africa.  White-Breasted Cormorants, and Pink-Back Pelicans were among the first.  Today, only a pair of Great White Pelicans (Wallace and Gromet) also call the Penguin Coast Habitat home.  

Some pics from today's visit.

17 members of our precious colony enjoying the warm March sun

Wallace and Gromet were also "catching some rays!"

1st Stage: Hang

1st Stage's latest production is "Hang" by contemporary English playwright, debbie tucker green.  I suspect this is why the actors spoke with English accents.  In a nutshell, it is the story of a woman who has come to a government office to announce the manner in which a criminal convicted of a crime against her is to be executed.  An apparent prerogative given to victims in this scenario.  It's a serious topic, an exploration of victim's rights and capital punishment, and it attempts to build a house worthy of the ideas; and yet, it fails miserably.  I can't recall the last time I sat through a more disappointing play.  I don't fault the actors.  They were bailing against all the odds in this sinking ship.  

80 minutes without intermission was merciful.  I mentioned the English accents.  They were so generic and the dialogue was so mottled by lines spoken over-top of one another in a failed attempt to replicate natural speech.  The victim of the crime didn't want to talk.  The two government officials didn't know how to talk.  Their characters were written as incompetent, tentative, confused, honestly ridiculous which just made the whole experience even more confusing.  It clearly wasn't a satire, but perhaps the author would have done a better job communicating her ideas if she had gone that route.  The dissonance did lead to a smattering of nervous laughter from time to time--a mark that I was not the only one confused by the structure and dialogue.  

The bottom line is that in a play where the crux of the matter is so intense, if the actors can't find the way to engender the empathy of the audience, then the intensity of the concepts is simply lost.  If you can't believe that the characters are real--what's left?

The set was stark and impressive with lighting to enhance its sense of other-worldly-ness.  It lent itself wonderfully to the gravity of the subject matter in the abstract.  Kudos to Giorgos Tsappas for the design, Venus Gulbranson for the lighting design.

When I arrived, and made my way to the exterior balcony that wraps around the building housing 1st Stage, I encountered a group of guests standing around the balcony outside of the entrance.  I was a little early and uncertain if they were waiting for the doors to open, forming a line, or what.  When I inquired, I asked, "Are you waiting for something before going in?"

The woman closest to me reached out touched my forearm.  She said, "We're waiting for you!"  And everyone offered a jovial laugh in keeping with their general demeanor.  

I said, "That's lovely!"

The woman next to her said, "We're just enjoying the lovely weather."

And then the woman who touched my arm said of this woman, "This is Deidra.  She's the director."

"Oh," I said, "How lovely to meet you."

She said, "Thank you for coming.  I hope you enjoy the show."

As I left the theatre I ran into her again.  In the interim I had read her blurb in the program to discover a range of plays she's directed around the DMV along with several that she's acted in.  I asked her to confirm a fact in the program in hopes of deflecting the obvious question.  "Did you direct "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom?"

She said, "Yes, I did!"

I added, "That was the first show I ever saw at 1st Stage.  It's like completing a circle."

And then I lied...  I told her I enjoyed the play.  I mean, she was so nice, and honestly the plays I've seen her act it have all been amazing.  She's a very talented actor.  

The characters were simply named One, Two and Three.  From L-R Patrick Joy as Two, Lolita Marie as Three and Ellis Greer as One.

Breaky: Eggs Benedict with Pear & Blueberry

 

Olney Theatre: The Waitress

 Have you ever wanted something for so long--imagined it with such relish--and then when it finally happened, you're left disappointed? 

Well, that certainly was NOT my case with "The Waitress"!  Since I first encountered it, and its amazing score by Sara Bareilles, I've been captivated.  I have the score as sung by Bareilles and have listened to it many times.  No Broadway cast album exists because it wasn't deemed worthy, but, none-the-less, it engendered a worthy cult following.  Of which I am a devoted member.

It is based upon a movie.  As a vehicle, it has a rather pedestrian plot.  And perhaps that's what the critics found disappointing, I don't know.  Of all the things that make a story amazing, where this version of "The Waitress" succeeds is in Character, Relationship, and Theme.  

The characters are all compelling, some unique, each more than the sum of any stereotype that they suggested.  The relationships are both archetypal and--best of all--surprising!  Finally, the theme is profound.  What is the meaning of our lives?  How do we find happiness amidst all the rabble of obligations, choices and fears?  Now, THAT'S entertainment!  And this production of "The Waitress" at Olney Theatre Center is sheer perfection.

The cast deserves a paragraph each to describe their merits and my deep appreciation of their talents.  I will; however, spare you and just do shout-outs to the key players--but don't think it's going to be brief! 

Ethan Watermeier as Cal, the owner of the Pie Cafe, was Vic Taybac from TV's Alice rolled up in Jack Black from anything he's ever done topped with ninja warrior aspirations: a sweet potato and cream cheese luncheon special pie.

Bobby Smith as old Joe was the only DMV veteran that I knew, and played the role of a kindly curmudgeon like he was born to it: a classic lemon meringue pie with a sweet crunchy coconut topping.

Ashley D. Nguyen as Dawn seized my heart and then took it to a special place of endearment: an apple, blueberry, strawberry fruit pie with a perfectly engineered dough lattice top coated in pure cane sugar and ginger zest.

Sam C. Jones as Ogie (Dawn's love interest) was fearless in his quirkiness, theatrical in his physicality, and magical in his charming persistence: a double Oreo chocolate chip and walnut pie with extra sprinkles and pop rocks.

Okay, we're down to the top three and I'm over the pie theme.  #3 Allison Blackwell as waitress #2, Becky.  She held her own throughout until she got to the song "I Didn't Plan It" at the beginning of the second act. That's when she blew the fucking door off the barn!  It was all I could do not to stand up in ovation as last powerful echoes of amazing voice echoed off the walls of the mezzanine. 

#2 David Socolar as Dr. Pomatter, our protagonist's OYBGN and erstwhile lover.  I think he played the same role as part of a national tour of the show from Broadway, but no matter, he was amazing, and his performance suitably polished without any whiff of staleness.  His physicality in pursuit of comedy held a mark of perfect timing while still being fresh enough to delight.  His voice was enchanting and no more so than in his rendition of "You Matter To Me".  

So this brings us to #1, and let's face it, the show is called "The Waitress".  Malinda (just Malinda--like Madonna, Cher and God) was utterly amazing a Jenna--THE waitress.  What started out as a rather pedestrian liking, grew with every sce
ne until I was so complete "team-Jenna" that I hung on her every utterance.  And she was not simply the namesake heart of the show, but her character was the heart of the theme.  The Waitress is about life and how we choose to live it.  Do we accept our fate?  Do we make the best we can of our circumstances?  Or do we do whatever it takes to own a life without regrets?  I can't think of a more worthy exploration in the form of a musical.  And Malinda's performance embodied this idea with such a seamless thread, like the perfect recipe it was.  

Sugar.  Butter.  Flour....

Opening number with one of two floor panels that open and rise.

Jenna (Malinda) making the pies

All three of the waitresses: Dawn (Ashley D. Nguyen), Jenna and Becky (Allison Blackwell)

Dawn posting an online dating page

Ogie (Sam C. Jones) responds to Dawn's post and wins her heart.

Becky blowing the barn doors off with "I Didn't Plan It"

Dr. Pomatter (David Socolar) romancing Jenna at a bus stop

Breakfast: French Toast with Cinnamon, served with Fresh Strawberries, Blueberries & Maple Syrup